Photo Credit: Ryan Kang/GettyImages
Colorado head coach Deion Sanders had a clear message for NFL scouts during the school’s pro day on Friday: his star players, quarterback Shedeur Sanders and two-way standout Travis Hunter, are the best prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft.
“It’s tremendous,” Sanders said. “… They should be going 1-2 [in the draft], that’s the way I feel about it. They are the two best players in this draft. … The surest bets in this draft are those two young men, and I didn’t stutter or stammer when I said that.”
Sixteen Colorado players took part in the showcase, held in front of representatives from all 32 NFL teams and a crowd of fans. But all eyes were on Shedeur and Hunter, who didn’t participate in most physical testing but did enough to leave an impression.
Shedeur Shows Off His Arm
Shedeur Sanders, who didn’t work out at the NFL Scouting Combine, threw for nearly an hour in front of scouts. He went through play-action throws from both shotgun and under center, and showed deep passes from full seven-step drops.
“I think I did pretty good, to my expectations,” he said. “I know I had the best season in college football last year.”
In 2024, Sanders set the FBS career record for completion percentage (71.8%) and threw for 4,134 yards and 37 touchdowns. When asked if he sees himself as the best quarterback in the draft, he didn’t hesitate.
“I feel like I’m the No. 1 quarterback — that’s what I know,” he said. “But at the end of the day, I’m not stuck on that because it’s about the situation, so whatever situation, whatever franchise believes in me, I’m excited to go. … I’m comfortable in any situation.”
The Cleveland Browns, including team co-owner Jimmy Haslam, met with Shedeur and Hunter the night before the workout. Sanders joked the meeting came with plenty of food: “They got me really full. I needed to hit the sauna after that.”
Coach Prime added: “I spoke to the owner — truly delightful, very engaged. I think one of these guys will be there at No. 2.”
Hunter Impresses as a Receiver
Travis Hunter, the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner, didn’t take part in defensive drills but ran a full route tree at wide receiver. He caught passes during Shedeur’s throwing session and didn’t speak with reporters after the event.
Hunter has made it clear he wants to play both sides of the ball in the NFL. Last season, he caught 96 passes for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns on offense, while also making 35 tackles, 11 pass breakups, and four interceptions on defense.
In Colorado’s final regular-season game against Oklahoma State, Hunter became the only FBS player in the last 25 years to score three touchdowns on offense and record an interception in the same game. He logged 1,380 total snaps in 2024: 670 on offense, 686 on defense, and 24 on special teams.
Coach Sanders was quick to hype him up.
“Ain’t nobody like Travis,” he said.
Hunter is currently ranked No. 1 on ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr.’s Big Board.
Shilo Sanders and Will Sheppard Also Stand Out
Shedeur’s brother, safety Shilo Sanders, provided encouragement throughout the workout and made sure scouts knew how well his brother was performing. He also took part in the testing, running a 4.52-second 40-yard dash after measuring in at just under 6 feet tall and 196 pounds. A shoulder injury kept him out of the jumping and bench press drills.
One player who helped himself most was wide receiver Will Sheppard. Measuring 6-foot-2¼ and 196 pounds, Sheppard ran the 40-yard dash in 4.54 and 4.56 seconds. He also posted a 40.5-inch vertical and an 11-foot broad jump.
The event had a festive energy, complete with a large lit-up sign reading “The Showcase.” Deion Sanders even gave it a name: “We Ain’t Hard 2 Find Showcase.”
And with the amount of NFL attention in Boulder, it looks like he’s right.
Related Content: Top 20 NFL Draft Prospects: Travis Hunter
This report used information from ESPN.
